9Days Best Of Tanzania & Lake Eyasi Itinerary
At A Glance:
- This tour starts and ends in Arusha at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport. Alternatively, this tour can start and end in Dar es Salaam or Nairobi and we can book additional accommodation and internal flights upon request
- This tour is a private safari and run exclusively for you and can depart any day
- This tour offers mid-range accommodation with upgrades available
- This tour can be customized to suit your needs perfectly
- This tour accepts children of all ages and discounts apply for children 0-15 years old with further discounts for families sharing triple/quad rooms
Trip Highlights:
- Witness the elephants and centenaries old baobab trees of Tarangire
- Meet the Maasai and learn about this nomadic tribe’s beliefs and traditions
- Experience the vastness of the world famous Serengeti
- Search for the elusive Big 5 in the Ngorongoro Crater
- Experience the life of the Hadazbe bush people in Lake Eyasi
- Spot the tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara
- Enjoy the romance of a tented camp in the heart of the Tanzanian bush
Day by Day Itinerary:
Day 1: Arusha
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be met by Original Masai Tanzania Transfer Driver and transferred to your lodge where the remainder of the day is at leisure – rest in your room, relax in the gardens, enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool or explore Arusha and the surrounding areas on one of our day tours, the choice is yours.
Overnight – Ilboru Safari Lodge, Arusha
Day 2: Tarangire National Park (B, L, D)
After breakfast you will drive to the Tarangire National Park for a full day game drive. Tarangire is one of Africa’s little-known gems and should be on the itinerary of all lovers of wilderness and solitude. Its name originates from the Tarangire River that crosses through the park and is the only source of water during the dry season.
Tarangire’s landscape is incredibly diverse with a mix that is not found anywhere else on the northern safari circuit. It is dotted with ancient baobab trees, which the Maasai people believe are the first tree in creation, and large termite mounds. The dry season sees the harsh sun suck the moisture from the landscape, baking the earth a dusty red while the wet season brings dense bush and luscious high grasses.
Famous for its large elephant population, it is also home to zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, waterbuck, baboons, dwarf mongoose, impala, buffalo, antelope and fringe-eared oryx. Predators include lion, cheetah and leopard. The swamps are shared by flocks of birds; green wood hoopoes, lovebirds, tallish herons, white bellied go-away birds and giant kingfishers. On drier ground you will find the kori bustard and the heaviest of the flying birds; the ostrich.
Overnight – Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, Tarangire National Park
Upgrade Your Accommodation – Tarangire Safari Lodge, Tarangire National Park
Day 3: Lake Natron (B, L, D)
Today you will travel to the Serengeti National Park which is one of Africa’s premier game parks. Driving through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area toward the Serengeti National Park you will begin to experience the vastness of this territory and marvel at the multitude of animal and bird life while cruising through this acacia spotted savannah.
You will visit a Maasai Village in the Ngorongoro Highlands (optional) where you will meet the Elders, Warriors, women and children and learn about the culture, beliefs and traditions of Tanzania’s last nomadic tribe.
The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Serengeti is a year-round destination and each season has its own special highlight with the most famous being the annual wildebeest migration, a once in a lifetime experience.
You will game drive enroute before arriving into the Serengeti in time for a half day game drive.
Overnight – Kati Kati Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park
Day 4: Serengeti National Park (B, L, D)
Today you will venture deeper into the world-famous Serengeti on a full day game drive.
Overnight – Kati Kati Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park
Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater (B, L, D)
Today you will be rewarded with a full day game drive in the stunning Ngorongoro Crater which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 and is one of the only places on earth where mankind and wild animals co-exist is harmony. The Ngorongoro Crater is famous for Africa’s best game viewing as there is an ever present abundance of wildlife due to the permanent water supply on the crater floor.
Upon arrival at the Crater’s rim you will descend 610 metres into the Crater where your safari truly begins. Spot the endangered black rhino as well as wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, eland, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle and of course, giant tusked elephants. The Crater also has the largest known population of lions and you will also find leopards and cheetahs as well as scavengers such as spotted hyenas, jackals and rare wild dogs. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and these include white pelicans and flamingos.
In the late afternoon you will drive to the Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge where you will spend the night.
Overnight – Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge, Lake Eyasi
Day 6: Lake Eyasi (B, L, D)
After an early breakfast you will meet your local guide and together you will meet the Hadzabe Bush People and Datoga Tribe. Join them as they go about their daily activities such as hunting and gathering. You will visit the area where they collect fruits and roots and find water during the dry season as well as visit the caves they call home.
Overnight – Isoitok Tented Camp, Manyara
Day 7: Lake Manyara National Park (B, L)
Today you will visit the Lake Manyara National Park for a full day game drive. Stretching along the base of the Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is home to giant fig trees, acacia woodlands, mahogany trees and grassy flood plains. The contrasts of this area are simply breathtaking with its open plains, huge escarpment, Soda Lake, dense woodlands, and distant volcanic peaks coming together in an area best described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”.
Animals such as large buffalo, wildebeest, giraffes, mongoose, dik dik and zebra herds congregate on the grassy plains while the narrow belt of acacia woodland is home to the legendary tree-climbing lions and tusked elephants.
Lake Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s bird life with more than 400 species being recorded. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large waterbirds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.
In the late afternoon you will return to Arusha for your final evening.
Overnight – Ilboru Safari Lodge, Arusha
Day 8: Departure Day (B)
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
